2022 Japan Visa Guide for Filipinos

Important Notice

Types of Visa and Requirements

(i)    Choose one of visas below suitable for purpose of your travel and click the name of visa. You can find requirements for it.
(ii)    Check “IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE DOCUMENT SUBMISSION”.

1. Tourism (Only package tour conducted by registered travel agency in Japan with ERFS)
* Travel agencies are required to register in advance information of participants in the package tour with ERFS.
* The embassy cannot respond to inquiries about travel agencies or package tours. Please contact travel agencies in the Philippines for details.
* Requirements: passport, application form, facial photo, “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” and documents issued by the travel agency (Including resume of tour, list of participants, itinerary, contact information of travel agency in Japan, tour guide’s employment certificate and contact information).
2. Visiting Friends or Distant Relatives 
Purposes of visit mentioned below are acceptable now (Documents to prove relationship required.).
(a) To visit a fiance or common law partner
(b) To attend wedding or funeral (an invitation for ceremony required.)
(c) To visit a patient (a medical certificate required.)
3. Visiting Relatives
Relatives of a resident in Japan within third degree may apply now. (Invitation Letter with Written Pledge required.)
4. Business/Commercial Purpose
* “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” required.
* The receiving organization of entrants must register entrant’s information online in advance on the ERFS system operated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
5. Attending Conference of Private/Public Organization
* “Certificate for Completion of Registration to the ERFS system” required.
6. Transit *Temporarily suspended.
7. Single- Entry Tourist Visa for Philippine Nationals Joining Package Tours Organized by Registered Travel Agencies *Temporarily suspended

Multiple – Entry Visa

8. Multiple Entry Visa for Tourist *Temporarily suspended.
9. Multiple Entry Visa for Business Purpose and Cultural or Intellectual Figures *Temporarily suspended.

Visa Application Documents: (download)

Basic Documents

• Visa Application Form (Example)
• Invitation Letter (Japanese / English)
• Invitation Letter with “Written Pledge” (Japanese / English) * for visiting relatives or friends only
• List of Visa Applicants (Japanese / English)
• Itinerary in Japan (Japanese / English)
• Letter of Guarantee (Japanese / English)
• Details of the Company/Organization (Japanese / English)

Important Note on the Document Submission

1. General Notes
(1) Original Documents
* All documents must be original except those specifically stated.
* The embassy does not return the documents. If you have a document to be returned, please submit it with a copy and a note that the original must be returned.
(2) Validity of documents
* Please submit documents within 3 months from the date of issue or preparation.
* Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate must be issued within 1 year from the date of application.
* Documents issued beyond the validity period stated above will not be accepted.
(3) Size of documents, etc.
* All documents must be in A4 size. Documents of other size must be copied (reduced/enlarged) into size A4 and submitted together with the original.
* Please do not staple documents. Issuance receipts of certificates are not necessary and to be removed.
(4) When documents are incomplete, application will not be accepted. Even if documents are complete, the application may be denied as a result of examination.
(5) When a fake or tampered document is submitted, visa will not be issued.
(6) Depending on the content of application, additional documents may be required. Where you fail to submit by the due date set by the embassy, the application will be terminated.

2. Passport
(1) Please submit a passport with at least two blank and unused visa pages.
(2) Application may not be accepted if passport is broken, damaged or soiled.

3. Visa Application Form (Example)
(1) Please fill in each item accurately in English. False declaration may result to denial of visa issuance.
(2) Application forms with blank fields will not be accepted. If you don’t have applicable information, please fill in “N/A”.
(3) Application forms without date of application and signature will not be accepted. For the date of application, please fill in the date of submission to the accredited travel agency (or to the embassy in case of direct application).

4. Photo
(1) Please submit a 4.5 x 3.5 (cm) photo taken within six months from the date of application.
(2) Please glue a photo properly on the designated space in the application form. It can be either monochrome or colored but must be clear with white background.
(3) Please write your full name and date of birth on the back of photo.
(4) A photo out of the standard or digitally modified and processed will not be accepted.

5. Birth Certificate
(1) Please submit a certificate issued by PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) in security paper.
(2) Please submit a certificate issued within 1 year from the date of application.
(3) Where there is no record of birth in PSA, please submit a “Negative Certification of Birth” by PSA with the birth certificate by the Local Civil Registrar.

6. Marriage Certificate
(1) Please submit a certificate issued by PSA in security paper.
(2) Please submit a certificate issued within 1 year from the date of application.
(3) Where there is no marriage record in PSA for such reasons that the marriage was recently celebrated and local civil registry has not forwarded it, please submit “Certificate of No Marriage Record” (CENOMAR) by PSA with Marriage Certificate by the Local Civil Registrar.

7. Itinerary in Japan
(1) Please enter the scheduled date of entry and departure from Japan, including entry and departure flight information. * (2) For accommodation, please enter its details (In case of a hotel, the name, address and phone number *).
* Confirmed flight/hotel booking is not necessary for visa application.
(3) The schedule of stay must be stated in a daily basis. However, in case similar activity continues for several days, you can put them into one column in this manner (Year/Month/Day-Year/Month/Date).

8. Letter of Guarantee
(1) For “Visa Applicant’s Name”, please write in Alphabet as shown in passport.
(2) In case that multiple applicants have the same guarantor, please write the name of representative and “Others names, see attached list”. Then, fill in “List of Visa Applicants” and submit.

9. Invitation Letter
(1) For “Visa Applicant’s name”, please write in Alphabet as shown in passport.
(2) As to the purpose and background of invitation, please fill in the concrete activities you are planning and the background/circumstances of the invitation in detail.
＊Vague description such as “Sightseeing”, “Visiting Acquaintances” or “Visiting Relatives” will not be accepted. Please indicate specific contents of activities.
(3) Depending on the reason for invitation, you need to submit supporting documents to prove it (i.e., medical certificate, copy of Maternal and Child Health Handbook (Boshi-techo), certificate of employment) .
* Please do not submit a copy of your Individual Number Card (“My Number Card”) or your Medical Insurance Card in Japan
Japanese laws and regulations prohibit us to accept documents including the following numbers:
・Individual Number in Japan (what we call “My Number”.)
・Insurer’s Number of Medical Insurance in Japan
・Insured person’s Number of Medical Insurance in Japan, etc.  
* For any reason, if you need to submit a copy of those documents, please conceal the numbered part (blot it out with black ink to be unreadable) .

10. Income Certificate/Tax Certificate/Copy of Final Tax Return Forms
(1) Please submit the latest one at the time of application.
(2) For Tax payment certificate (Nozei-shomeisho), please submit those with description of the total income amount.
(3) For Final Tax Return Forms (Kakutei-shinkokusho), please submit a copy with an acceptance stamp of the tax office.
* If you used e-Tax, please submit Notice of receipt (Jushin-tsuuchi) together with the copy of Final tax return forms (Kakutei-shinkokusho).
(4) Withholding Slip (Gensen-choshuhyo) will not be accepted.
(5) If the inviter cannot submit any of the above or a certificate of bank balances, other person such as a relative can be a guarantor. In that case, please submit a proof of relationship with the guarantor and an explanation letter stating the reason why the said person becomes the guarantor.

11. Residence Certificate（Jumin-hyo）
Please submit a certificate with description of all household members without omission.
   However, it should be without Individual Number (Kojin-bango) and Residence Certificate Code (Juminhyo-code).

12. Baptismal Certificate
Please add the contact information (landline number) of the church if possible.

13. School Record
Please submit a school record (Form 137) from Elementary or High School.

14. Employment Certificate
Please submit a certificate specifying applicant’s position, period of employment, monthly (or annual) income and certifier’s name and contact information.

15. Certificate of Business Registration
Please submit a copy of Certificate of Registration issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

16. Travel Order/Dispatch Letter
Please submit a document specifying the purpose of the trip and the length of stay.

Please click on the link for FAQs on Japan Visa

Source: https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/00_000035.html